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Argentina manager quits after Copa America Final loss

More than two weeks after Lionel Messi missed a vital penalty kick against Chile in the Copa American Centenario Final, the fallout of Argentina’s devastating loss continues with Gerardo Martino handing in his resignation.

According to Yahoo! Sports, Argentina manager and former Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino has announced his resignation as manager of the national team.

In a statement from the Argentina Football Association, Martino revealed that the decision to quit came due to difficulties in dealing with the embattled association.

The news comes on the heels of Lionel Messi’s decision to retire from international football just days after the loss to Chile at MetLife Stadium in the Copa America Final.

Despite a 65.5% win rate, Martino led Argentina to two straight Copa America Centenario disappointments, losing to Chile on penalty kicks in 2015 and 2016.

Prior to his stint with Argentina, Martino managed Lionel Messi for a little over one year as a replacement for terminally-ill manager Tito Vilanova. During his brief stint with the team, he failed to win any major silverware other than the Spanish Super Cup.